Former Hull KR hooker Josh Hodgson has revealed the extent of the injury nightmare that ended his Canberra Raiders career. The 33-year-old, who made his debut as a Hull FC junior in 2009, has moved to Parramatta Eels for the 2023 season.
Suffering an ACL injury, Hodgson missed the entire 2022 season, ending his stay at Canberra who he joined from Rovers in 2015. Moving to Sydney, it's a new challenge for Hodgson, who toyed with the idea of retirement earlier this year.
Making his name at Hull KR after crossing the River Hull in 2010, Hodgson soon became a cult hero in East Hull and was a regular for England as well. Now after his injury horrors, the hooker now wants to finish on his own terms and it's that drive that will spur him on at the Eels.
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“The easy road would have been to retire,” Hodgson told the Daily Telegraph in Australia. "At 33 after a third knee operation people would have pulled the pin, getting a pay out to sit on the beach and drink a beer instead of working your arse off.
“But I want to win. A person that has that hunger is more dangerous than someone who wants to take the easy way out.
“I can help Parramatta. I loved working with big middles (at Canberra) like Josh Papalii, Joe Tapine and Shannon Boyd. People like that are good to play off your hip.”
A nightmare injury for Hodgson, he has been in rehab all year as he gets his knee right for the 2023 season. Both Parramatta and Canberra have played a key role in that, with head coach Brad Arthur keeping check on his new signing.
The Eels were runners up in 2022, losing to the mighty Penrith Panthers in the NRL Grand Final. Canberra also made the play-offs, defeating Melbourne down in Victoria before losing to his new club the next week.
However, Hodgson believes they are in good hands with the talent coming through, with the Hull-born star now set to relish his hooking role once again.
“Brad got in touch to check in on me and to see how I was going,” Hodgson continued. “The Eels were really good.
"Canberra really looked after me too. I could’ve kicked stones and moped around knowing I was leaving but I loved the club and I really wanted them to go all the way and I wanted to help in any capacity.
“I was in a position where I felt like the next wave of kids were coming through at Canberra. I didn’t want to leave them in the lurch but I felt like they were in good hands."
Playing a bit of loose forward at Canberra, it's the nine spot where Hodgson wants to make his mark again. That was the main driving force behind the move to his new club.
“In 2021, I felt I was playing good footy but I was playing 60 minutes at loose forward after starting the game at nine," he added. "I didn’t want to transition into a loose forward - I wanted to be one of the best nines in the game and I was seeking out a challenge to do that."
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